“I Bleed Crimson”: Becoming a Female College Football Fan

Fall, for us girls, is usually met with thoughts of the newest season’s fashion, back-to-school adjustments and the beginning of another hectic college year. But for millions of men across the country, this time of year means NCAA College Football is underway. This season brings arguably the country’s most hardcore fans, rivalries, and school spirit. No matter if your school is a National Championship contender on the field, or simply a small Division III program, being football-savvy will surely spice up your game day experience. It is time to say goodbye to the stereotypes of girls being naive about football. Learning the game will not only mean you can “bleed” school spirit (and dress up as your mascot at the tailgate), but you can also start enjoying the athletic prowess on the field. Besides, nearly every guy you meet will be impressed!

Back to Basics A lack of understanding often leads to boredom on game day, especially because there are many breaks in the action. However, the game of football can be easily deciphered with a small knowledge of the basics. Here is a crash course on everything you need to know to enjoy a football game like “one of the guys.” The goal of the game is to move the ball 100 yards down the field into the end zone. There are 11 players on the field per team at all times. On offense, the offensive team has 4 downs—or “chances”—to move the ball 10 yards. If they fail to move the ball 10 yards (typically in the first 3 plays or downs) the ball is turned over to the opposing team after the 4th down or punted to them. If the 10 yards is successfully gained, the offense is awarded a “First Down” giving them 4 more chances to move 10 yards again. This process is repeated.

Pulling Ahead on the Scoreboard... If the ball reaches the end zone, the offensive team scores a touchdown worth 6 points. They are awarded the ball again for an attempt to gain a PAT—or, point after touchdown. The team can go for 1 point by scoring a field goal (kicking the ball through the goalposts), or they can “Go For 2,” an extra 2 points if they make a successful play into the end zone from the three-yard line. Almost every time, the team will go for the PAT by kicking the ball.

Crowning a Champion The college football season caps off at 12 regular season games. All NCAA Division 1-A schools are broken up into conferences throughout the country. The most competitive conferences include the SEC (Southeastern Conference), the Pac-10 (Pacific 10 teams), Big 12, Big 10, and the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference). The conferences are consistent for all NCAA sports. The most competitive conferences are part of the

BCS (Bowl Championship Series). The ultimate goal is to earn a bid to a “BCS Bowl.” The pinnacle, of course, is the BCS National Championship, which rotates between the Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California), Orange Bowl (Miami, Florida), Fiesta Bowl (Tempe, Arizona), and Sugar Bowl (Baton Rouge, Louisiana). There is no play-off system in college football—a system that is constantly debated throughout the athletic world. Instead, the BCS decides the final rankings and bowl bids. The BCS was “created by conferences and schools in 1998 to assure a match up between the top two teams—correcting a major flaw in the system—while maintaining and enhancing the traditional bowl system that’s nearly 100 years old” (BCSFootball.org). The final BCS rankings, which give way to the bowl game match ups, are mathematically calculated by a formula combining the “USA Today Coaches Poll, the Harris Interactive College Football Poll and an average of six computer rankings.” (To find out more about the BCS visit: Your browser may not support display of this image. http://www.bcsfootball.org/bcsfb/faq)

Conquering the Enemy Most college football teams have one major rival; this rivalry brings out the most intense fan sentiments of the season. The most heart and soul is poured into these match-ups. The oldest of these rivalries is Harvard v. Yale, beginning in 1875. Some notable rivalries include: “The Red River Rivalry” – Texas v. Oklahoma, “The Game” – Harvard v. Yale, Army v. Navy, “The Big Game” – Stanford v. Cal, “The Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh” – USC v. Notre Dame, “Iron Bowl” – Auburn v. Alabama, “The Civil War” - Oregon v. Oregon, “The Apple Cup” – Washington v. Washington State, “Battle of the Palmetto State” - South Carolina v. Clemson, “Holy War” – Notre Dame v. Boston College, “The Biggest Little Game in America” – Williams v. Amherst